Magistrate Nigel Hawke granted a man his pre-trial liberty in the sum of $15,000 when he appeared before him at the Blairmont Court yesterday, charged with damage to property and disorderly behaviour.
The court heard that on Friday December 4, Victor Kippings, 36, of Number 28 Village, West Berbice unlawfully and maliciously damaged a lock-up door, valued $100,000, belonging to the Guyana Police Force.
Kippings, a father of seven and a clothes vendor was also charged with behaving disorderly on the same day.
Police Prosecutor Inspector Donna Grant-Fraser, who asked that bail to be refused, said Kippings was placed in custody during the investigation of an armed robbery. She submitted that apart from the nature and gravity of the offences, they were committed at a police station. She told the court that Kippings kicked down the lock-ups door and the police had to intervene. Grant-Fraser told the magistrate that if the defendant is sent on bail he would not attend his trial.
In response, attorney Joel Persid Edmond said his client asked for water but the police did not give him any. He said the police told him [Edmond] later that there was no drinking water available at the station.
He said the door opened and his client came out and the police dealt him four lashes on his abdomen with the gun-butt and he started to cry out for pain. He claimed that when he visited his client at the Fort Wellington Hospital on Saturday he was vomiting blood.
According to Edmond the doctor who treated Kippings told him that the blows were not “life threatening” but they may cause “disruptions” later.
A medical report that was provided to the magistrate proved that there were no marks of violence on the defendant and also showed that nothing was wrong.
Edmond, who requested a chair for his client during the hearing, asked for him to be sent on his own recognisance.
The prosecutor denied the allegations that the police hit Kippings and said that he was taken to the hospital because he complained of feeling unwell.
After listening to the submissions, Magistrate Hawke commented that he had only been in the district for a short while and that he had cause already to reprimand Kippings about his behaviour. He also lamented that “at the end of the day members of the police force should be accorded some level of mutual respect in order to progress.” The magistrate also told the man that he has to understand how to conduct himself. Further he advised the police that “if someone asks for water the police should follow the procedures by law” and the water should be provided.
Kippings, who was writhing in pain at court, was placed on $15,000 bail on the damage to property charge and was sent on his own recognisance on the disorderly behaviour charge.
He is scheduled to return to court on December 18 and was ordered to report to the Fort Wellington Police Station every Monday in the meantime.
